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Speed limits increase for Highways 34, 64

Speed limits on several state highways in northwest Minnesota will increase from 55 to 60 miles per hour, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

The new speed limits take effect when the new signs are posted.

Some area highways that will receive new speed limits signs include the following:

• Highway 34: Detroit Lakes to Park Rapids

• Highway 64: Highway 200 to Highway 87

• Highway 172: Baudette to Wheeler's Point

• Highway 310: Roseau to Canadian Border

Speed limits lower than 55 miles per hour along these sections of highway will remain unchanged.

The speed increases are based on a traffic and engineering study of each location, which looks at past crash rates, physical attributes of the highway (such as shoulder widths and access points), and an analysis of current driving speeds, according to a MnDOT release.

In 2014, the Minnesota Legislature directed MnDOT to evaluate its two-lane, two-way, 55-mph highways to determine whether speed limits could be reasonably and safely increased. The statewide study will end in 2019.